Typewriting machine



April 1931. J. A. B. SMITH 1,802,787

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Se t 7. 1928 I NVENTORZ ATTORNEY;

Patented Apr. 28, 1931 eave;

A, B. SMITH, O1? STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, FISHER CQMPANY, F NEVJ YORK, N.Y., A

ASSIGNOR, TO UNDERWOOD ELLIOTT CORFGRATION OF DELAWARE TYPEWRITING-MACHINE Application filed September 7, 1928. Serial 110.304,?(8.

This invention relates to clip-s for holding labels and other smallwork-pieces in typing position on a platen, especially a platen of smalldiameter, such as is used in portable 5 typewriting machines.

It is an object of the invention to facilitate the insertion of thework-piece and the gaging thereof, and to improve the means for holdingthe work-piece fast against the plat- 1 en, and to provide forconvenient typing close to all the edges of the work-piece.

In the preferred form of the invention the sheet-metal shell-likecard-holder is selfolasping upon the cylindrical body of the platen. Forthis purpose the card-holder may have a spring-body which extends alittle more than half way around the platen to give it the self-claspingeffect, althoughcertain features of the invention are not limited to 20this type of body.

By means of a series of inverted U-shaped incisions, adjacent onelongitudinal edge portion of the shell, there are provided a series oftongues enclosed by the shell for clasping the platen, and a work-clipwhich is formed along one entire longitudinal edge of the device. Thework-clip is supported upon bars which extend from the clip to the bodyof the device, said bars alternating with said tongues. Said work-clipis offset or spaced a little away from the platen, while the tonguestightly clasp the platen.

After the device is placed in position upon the platen, the bottom edgeof the work is inserted downwardly between the clip and the platen, andrests upon the tips of said tongues, which thus form a bottom gage forthe work. The tongue-tips are provided with indentations or short raisedribs, to give depth and improve the eificiency of the gages. The platenis then rolled backwardly, together with the card-holder and the card orlabel, and the bottom rolls which usually run upon the and will pressupon said bars, thereby causing the clip to clasp the label firmlyagainst the platen. To aidin this rolling operation, the bars are formedwith longitudinal ribs, which project above the body of the device, soas to be engaged by said bottom rollers. The

platen will now run upon the card-holder.

clip is held with exceptional firmness to the platen, the grip thereonnot being dependent upon the rigidity of thewea-k body of thecard-holder, so that the label is held much more firmly than has beenpracticable here-Is tofore, and the work is more accurately gaged uponthe platen. V

One-piece label-holding devices are usually effective because of theresiliency of their spring-tempered bodies. Such devices are notsuitable to withstand severe usage or abuse, since their thin bodies canbe easily bent so as to destroy the accurately-gaged tension requi redfor properly gripping the work-pieces. Also, such devices require theuse of both'fi hands of the operator in using them, since the resilientholder must be held released with one hand while the workpiece isinserted with the other hand, and this usually slows down the speed ofthe operator.

The work-pieces may be readily inserted with one hand between the platenand the label-holder when the latter is in work-receiving position, andbe clamped automatically upon bringing the work-piece to typing posi-.tion.

The body-portion and integral forwardlyextending fingers are made from asingle piece of spring-tempered sheet-metal, and are curved to clasp theplaten closely. V The label-gripping memberis disposed in advance fromthe fingers and is carried by members which extend rearwardly betweenthe fingers, and are integrally and flexibly joinedtothe bodysportion.The label-grip- -8 ping member, when in a work-receiving position, isnormally disposed far enough away from the platen to permit a work-pieceto be readily front-inserted therebetween. Then the platen is rotatedrearwardly to bring the 99 label to typing position, and thelabel-gripper carrying members are engaged by the lower feed-rolls andthe label-gripping member is pressed firmly against the label. When thelabel is typed, the platen is rotated ahead 35 to bring the label-holderto label-receiving position, and the typed label is automaticaL lyreleased by the gripping member and may be conveniently removed.

The-integral, lengthwise, radially-project ing ribs in the movablemembers which carry the label-gripping member secure an effectivecoaction of the lower feed-rolls and the labelholder, and also make themovable members transmit more of the pressure of the feedrolls to thelabel-gripping member.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, front to rear, throughthe platen-carriage of an Underwood portable typewriting machine havingmy invention applied thereto. In this view the label-holder is shown inwork-receiving position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, the label-holder being shown ineffective labelholding position, and the label being shown in typingposition.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the structure shown inFigure 1.

Figure 4 is an end view from the left side,

of the label-holder of my invention.

Figure 5 is a view illustrating how my label-holder may be easilyremoved from the platen.

Thev present invention is illustrated as applied to an Underwoodportable typewriting machine in which types strike against a platen 11supported in a laterally-movable platen-carriage 12 which carries ausual linefinder scale 13. For inserting work-sheets from the reararound the platen, a usual rear paper-table 14 is provided whichterminates in a flexible front apron 15 on whose forward extremity maybe supported a usual paperscale 16 whose upper edge is disposed a shortdistance from the surface of the platen.

Lower feed-rolls 17 may be carried as usual by the apron 15, and springs18, supported on the platen-carriage 12, are employed in a well-knownway to press upwardly against the apron, and are effective to hold thefeedrolls 17 firmly against the platen.

A label-holder, generally designated as 20,

*is made of thin spring-tempered sheet-metal, and 1s provided'with acurved rear bodyportion 21 and integral fingers 22 which extendforwardly from the body 21 and are spaced away from each other forapurpose to presently appear. The peripheral distance from the rear edgeof the body 21 to the forward end of a finger 22 is slightly more thanone-half of the periphery of the platen 11. The curve of the body 21 andfingers 22 is made slightly smaller in radius than the curve of theplaten, and the holder maybe easily opened or spread to engage aroundthe platen, and will clasp the same securely.

Positioned slightly in advance of the front end of the fingers 22 is alaterally-disposed label-gripper member 23 which is carried on theforward ends of narrow webs or bars 24, hereinafter called label-grippercarriers,

which are integrally oined to the member 23 and which extend rearwardlyto be integrally and flexibly joined to the body 21. One label-grippercarrier is disposed between each two adjacent fingers 22, the latterbeing spaced away from each other slightly more than the width of thecarrier. A carrier 24 I may also be disposed at each side of the rowfingers 22, terminate substantially in line with the ribs 25. Thisconstruction, while stiffening the label-gripper carriers 24, will alsopermit the carriers to be readily swung about their flexible junctionswith the body 21;

When detached from the platen (Figure 4), the label-gripper 23 and thecarriers 24 are disposed outwardly, i. e. in advance of the fingers 22,ashort distance. Also,when the holder 20 is in work-receiving position,clasping the platen (Figure'2), the inner face of the label-gripper 2 3is disposed a short distance in front of the surface of the platenparallel thereto, whereby a label may be readily inserted between theplaten and the gripper. To facilitate insertingthe label, an upper orleading edge 31 of the label-gripper may be beveled away from theplaten-For aligning the label 30, short outwardly-projecting beads 32 areformed in the end of each finger 22 for engaging the lower edge of thelabel. In Figure 1 position the front extremity of each bead 32 extendsforwardly beyond the inner face of the label-gripper 23 and serves toprevent the label from slipping down betweenethe gripper 23 and thefingers 22, which would often'occur if the beads were not provided.

A side-edge gage for laterally positioning each of a series of labels 30may be provided by moving a usual left-hand upper feed-roll 33 along alateral shaft 34 to proper position relative to the labelholder, theshaft being supported in the usual manner for carrying the feed-roll.

After inserting and gaging a label 30, when the platen is inwork-receiving position as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, the platenmay be reversely rotated by a usual finger-wheel,

not shown, until the first line of writing, is

brought to the printing line, which may be determined by the line-finderscale 13. A usual curved work-guide finger 36 on the linefinder scalepresses the label 30 against the platen at the printing point. lVhen thelabel is in typing position, the lower portions of the rib 25 areengaged by the lower feedof said machine,

rolls 17, the stifi" label-gripper carriers 24 are swung toward theplaten, and the labelgripper 23 is pressed firmly against the label. Itwill be noted that the lengths of the label- 5 gripper carriers 24 andthe rib 25 are such that the rear ends of the ribs pass under thefeed-rolls 17 before the bottom-edge portion of the label 30 is disposedat the printing line.

When a label 30 has been typed, the platen may be rotated ahead to bringit to workreceiving position, whereupon the feed-rolls will ride off theribs 25, and the label-gripper will automatically be swung forward byspring-tension and will release the label 30, which may be quickly andsafely removed without danger of tearing.

According to one method of detaching the label-holder, the platen, afterbeing moved to its leftmost position, is rotated backwardly, asindicated by arrow (see Figure 5), until the bottom edge of the body 21engages the upper or ge of the movable front scale, which, by theoperators finger, is pressed against the platen. A slight additionalturn given to the platen 11 will cause the holder to smoothly slip offthe platen without excessive manual force being applied, the yieldingfingers 22 not ofi'ering excessive resistance.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, andportions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a typewriting machine platen, of a label-holderincluding a sheet-like resilient body curved for engagement around saidplaten, a label-gripper member disposed in advance of said body, andcarrier-members integrally joined to said label-gripper member and tosaid body, said gripper-member being normally spaced in work-receivingposition slightly away from said platen, said carrier members beingarranged for engagement by a resilient element whereby to press saidgripper-member firmly against said platen.

2. Ina typewriting machine having a platen and lower feed-rolls, aholder for a work-piece arranged for attachment to or detachment fromsaid platen and having a body curved to yieldingly clasp the samewithout exterior means, and provided with an integral movable partarranged forengagement with said lower feed-rolls to be 0 pressedthereby against said platen for gripping said work-piece.

3. A label-holder for a typewriting machine platen including a flexiblesheet-metal body curved to be sprung around said platen, an offsetlabel-gripping member integral with said body, carrier-membersintegrally joined to said label-gripping member and flexibly joined tosaid body, tongues sepa- I rated from the gripping member and from thecarrier-members by U-shaped piercings in said body,

- part being .ing position, and the rear end of said and stiffening ribsstruck up from each carrier-member to project above said body and becompressed during a rotary movement of the platen to bring thelabelgripping member against the platen.

4. A label-holder for a typewriting machine platen includinga flexiblesheet-metal body curvedto be sprung around said platen, an ofi'setlabel-gripping member integral with said body, carrier-membersintegrally oined to said label-gripping member and flexibly joined tosaid body, tongues separated'from the gripping member and from thecarrier-members by U-shaped piercings in said body, and stiffening ribsstruck up from each carrier-member to project above said body and becompressed during a rotary movement of the platen to bring thelabelgripping member against the platen, each rib beginning at theforward end of its carriermember and extending lengthwise thereof, andterminating adjacent the junction of said member with said flexiblebody, whereby to stiffen said member throughout its length while leavingit free to be swung about its flexible junction with said body.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen and lowerfeed-r0lls, of a holder for a work-piece including a platenclaspingpart, and a work-piecegripping part flexibly connected to saidplaten-clasping member and disposed forwardly beyond the same, theforward end of said gripping disposed slightly away from said platenwhen ,said holder is in work-receiv pping part arranged for engagementbysaid feed-rolls for pressing said forward end against said work-piecewhen said platen is rotated to bring said workpiece to typing position.

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen and.platen-fed rollers, of a holder for a work-piece including aplaten-clasping body-portion having a row of fingers spaced away fromeach other and formed to clamp around said platen, a workpiece-grippingpart disposed in advance of the forward ends of said fingers, barsintermediate said fingers gripping part, stiffening beads for each bar,each bar extending downwardly to be flexibly integral with saidbody-portion, said gripping part being resiliently disposed away fromsaid platen for a work-receiving position, and beads integrally formedin the forward ends of said fingers for increasing the thickness of thefingers as stop-means for the leading edge of the work-piece insertedbetween said gripping part and said platen, said rollers engaging thebeads of the bars to depress the gripping part to clamp the work-pieceto the platen.

7. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen and lowerfeed-rolls,

and integral with said of a holder for a work-piecearranged forattachment to and detachment from said platen, said holder having abody-part curved for clasping said platen, a lateral member forwardlydisposed from said bodypart and normally positioned slightly away fromsaid platen, said member being movable toward said platen for gripping awork-piece thereagainst, and members integrally and flexibly joined tosaid body-part and extending forwardly therefrom for carrying saidwork-gripping member, said carrying members being arranged to be pressedtoward said platen by said lower teed-rolls for bringing said movablemember into engagement with said work-piece when the latter is in typingposition.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen and lowerfeed-rolls, of a holder for a work-piece arranged for attachment to anddetachment from said platen, said holder having a part curved forgrasping said platen and a part made effective by the pressure of saidfeed-rolls for gripping said work-piece against said platen.

9. In a typewritmg machine, the combination with a platen and lowerfeed-rolls, of a holder for a work-piece arranged for attachment to anddetachment from said platen, said holder having a part curved forclasping said platen and a part whose upper portion is arranged forgripping a workpiece against said platen and' whose lower portion isarranged for engagement with said feed-rolls so as to make the pressureof said feed-rolls effective for pressing said upper portion againstsaid platen.

' J .JSSE A. B. SMITH.

